Tuyere arrangement



Aug. 20, 1963 Filed May 1, 1961 INVENTOR. PAUL METZ I a, Mgl B his ATTORNEYS Aug. 20, 1963* P. METZ 3,101,384

TUYERE ARRANGEMENT Filed May 1, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 III -E A 1 m /8 5 2L llllll l Z, 2 t: i

INVENTOR. PAUL METZ his ATTORNEYS Aug. 20, 1963 P. METZ TUYERE ARRANGEMENT Y Filed May 1, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVEN TOR. PAUL METZ ATTORNEYS his Aug. 20, 1963 P. METZ 3,101,384

TUYERE ARRANGEMENT I Filed May 1, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. PAUL METZ ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,101,384 TUYERE ARRANGEMENT Paul Mctz, Dudelange, Luxembourg, assiguor to Acieries Reunies tle Burbach-Eich-Dudelauge, Societe Anonyme, Luxembourg, Luxembourg Filed May 1, 1961, Ser. No. 106,911 Claims priority, application Luxembourg May 18, 1960 Claims. ((31. 266-41) This invention relates to apparatus useful in metallurgical processes, and more particularly, to a tuyere or nozzle arrangement suitable for use in a metallurgical refining process.

Tuyere arrangements for injecting a gas entrained pulverulent material into a metal bath to form a slag are well known. A typical arrangement generally comprises a central tube which carries the gas entrained material and which terminates at its lower portion in a detachable nozzle formed from a material that is resistant to abrasion and corrosion. A water jacket or similar cooling system is generally included which encompasses the central tube.

Tuyere arrangements such as the one described above generally have a number of drawbacks: namely, they either involve a direct contact of materials whose thermal expansion coefficients are very dissimilar, or no connection is provided between the central tube, together with its associated nozzle, and the cooling apparatus. Thus, the devices of the prior art either subject the components forming the tuyere arrangements to heavy strains engendered by abrupt changes of temperatures, or an ineffective cooling arrangement is substituted to reduce such strains.

These drawbacks are eliminated in the present invention by providing a tuyere arrangement which comprises a central tube that houses an abrasion and corrosion-proof tuyere or nozzle on the inside thereof. The central tube is encompassed by an exterior cooling member; however, contact between the central tube and the cooling apparatus only occurs at the terminal portions thereof. In this fashion, the tuyere is separated from the cooling apparatus, thereby eliminating strains due to dilierences in expansion, whereas cooling is provided through the central tube itself which is encompassed by the cooling apparatus and which is in direct contact with both the tuyere and a portion of the cooling apparatus.

In practice, the central tube advantageously comprises a lower and an upper portion, the lower portion serving as a support for the tuyere, whose terminal segment is conveniently made of heat resistant steel, the upper portion serving to feed the refining gas to the tuyere.

In a preferred embodiment of the tuyere arrangement the central tube is provided with springs which maintain the tube against a shoulder formed from the lower inside terminal part of the cooling apparatus.

Support for the tuyere is provided by a tapered surface or a separate shoulder for-med from the lower inside terminal portion of the central tube. Additionally, the inside of the central tube is indented to accommodate the tuyere.

The central tube is placed concentrically within the encompassing cooling apparatus, and is conveniently fitted therein upon a shoulder formed fromthe lower inside terminal portion of the cooling apparatus. Contact between the central tube and the cooling member may also be provided by tapered contact surfaces at the lower portions thereof, or by non-tapered adjacent cylindrical surfaces.

Although the invention has been described generally above, a better understanding of it may be obtained by consulting the following detailed description thereof, when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

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FIG. 1 is a cut-away view of an exemplary tuyere arrangement embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cut-away view of a similar tuyere arrangement;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are cut-away views of the lower portions of tuyere arrangements involving slight modifications of the arrangement shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a cut-away view of a tuyere arrangement in accordance with the inventionutilizing a spring to maintain parts of the arrangement in place.

In the figures, like numeral designations refer to like parts.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a .tuyere arrangement is shown that comprises a central tube formed from central tube sections 1, 2, 3 and 4. The upper'section 1 and the next lower section 2 are affixed together, for example, by soldering. The section 2 is in turn coupled to an intermediate section 3 by a threaded ring 5. The intermediate section 3 and the lower portion 4 of the central tube are threaded together as shown at 6.

A lower terminal portion 7 of the central tube section 4- is mounted upon a lower terminal portion 8 of a cool ing member 9. The cooling member, which contains a gas or liquid coolant therein (not shown), has an abut ment it) that forms a part of the portion 8. This abutment serves as a support for the terminal portion 7 of the central tube.

Within the central tube a tuyere or nozzle 13 is rigidly held in an indented portion of the central tube between one limit 11 thereof and a tapered surface 12 of the terminal portion 7. The lower terminal portion of the tuyere 13 also rests upon the abutment lit. In this fashion, the tuyere, which conducts refining gas therethrough, is almost entirely separated from the cooling member 9 except for its contact with the abutment l0, and thus is not subject to undue strains due to varying degrees of expansion and contraction in the member 9. 7

An inside lining wall 14 of the cooling apparatus 9 is separated from to central tube sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 by an annular space 15 which serves to insulate the cooling apparatus from the central tube. At the same time, a secondary supply of gas from a gas source (not shown) may be injected into the space 15 from which it passes by way of an orifice l6 and a duct 17 into the main stream of refining gas passing through the tuyere 13.

Further insulation is provided by creating a cut-away portion 18 between the tuyere 13 and the central tube section 4. If desired, the cut-away portion 18 may be filled with a material 19, such as, for example, cement or sand.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the terminal portion 7 of the central tube section 4 is fitted to the latter by a threaded bearing 26. As may be noted, the terminal portion 8 of the cooling member 9' is modified to eliminate the shoulder 10 of FIG. 1 and to provide a completely cylindrical, freely fitting contact between the terminal portions 7 and 8. These two portions contact each other as shown at 21, and the spacing therebetween is reduced to a minimum consistent with the fitting of the entire assembly. As shown in the figure, the tuyere 13 is completely separated from the cooling member 9, and this further reduces the danger of strains engendered by the expansion and contraction of the cooling member.

In FIG. 3 the arrangement of FIG. 2 is modified to provide a tapered contact surface 22 between the terminal I portions 7 and 8. In this fashion an efiective contact between the central tube section 4 and the cooling member 9 is ensured once the central tube is raised to bring the two terminal portions 7 and 8 into contact with each other.

In FIG. 4 the arrangement is similar to that shown in FIG. 3. However, the terminal portion 7 of the central tube section 4 is modified to provide a jutting shoulder 23 upon which the tuyere 13 rests.

In FIG. 5 the arrangement is similar to that shown in FIG. 4. However, a spring 24 is included which bears against a' shoulder 25 formed on the central tube section 2 and against a shoulder 26 formed on the inside lining wall 14 of the cooling apparatus 9 to urge apart the shoulders 25 and 26 and thus yieldingly bias the tuyere terminal portion 7 against the cooling member terminal portion 3 at the tapered contact surface 22. 1

As may be noted from the detailed description above, the present invention is subject to many modifications and changes. Such changes as shown, and those which are similar in nature, all should be deemed to lie within the scope of the invention and to be encompassed by the following claims which are set forth to define the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Metallurgical refining apparatus comprising an outer member formed from two substantially concentric cylinders joined together at terminal portions thereof, a cooling medium carried between said cylinders, an intermediate substantially cylindrical member carried concentrically within said outer member and contacting at an outer terminal portion thereof an inner terminal portion of the inner one-of said two concentric cylinders, and an abrasion and corrosion-proof tuyere member carried concentrically within and positioned against and supported by said intermediate cylindrical member.

. 2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said intermediate cylindrical member is characterized at a lower 4 inside terminal portion by an inwardly tapering surface, and the lower terminal portion of said tuyere member is characterized by a corresponding tapered surface that is supported by said inwardly tapering surface.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which an inner terminal portion of said intermediate cylindrical member forms a shoulder for supporting said tuyere.

4. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which the intermediate cylindrical member is provided with a spring means which maintains said intermediate cylindrical member against the inner terminal portion of the inner one of said two concentric cylinders.

5. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 in which the lower outside terminal portion of said intermediate cylindrical member is characterized by an outwardly sloping surface which contacts a corresponding shaped portion on th inside terminal portion of the inner one of said two concentric cylinders.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,023,625 McKee Dec. 3, 1935 2,338,623 Crowe Ian. 4, 1944 2,828,956 Bieniosek et al Apr. 1, 1958 2,829,960 Vogt Apr. 8, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 636,426 France Jan. 12, 1928 1,247,884 France Oct. 24, 1960 

1. METALLURGICAL REFINING APPARATUS COMPRISING AN OUTER MEMBER FORMED FROM TWO SUBSTANTIALLY CONCENTRIC CYLINDERS JOINED TOGETHER AT TERMINAL PORTIONS THEREOF, A COOLING MEDIUM CARRIED BETWEEN SAID CYLINDERS, AN INTERMEDIATE SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL MEMBER CARRIED CONCENTRICALLY WITHIN SAID OUTER MEMBER AND CONTACTING AT AN OUTER TERMINAL PORTION THEREOF AN INNER TERMINAL PORTION OF THE INNER ONE OF SAID TWO CONCENTRIC CYLINDERS, AND AN ABRASION AND CORROSION-PROOF TUYERE MEMBER CARRIED CONCENTRICALLY WITHIN AND POSITIONED AGAINST AND SUPPORTED BY SAID INTERMEDIATE CYLINDRICAL MEMBER. 